An inspection has revealed that a feline cub, which got loose recently in Chachoengsao province, is a tiger, not a liger, as claimed by the owner, said the director general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department.
Atthaphon Charoenchansa said the owner apparently made the claim that it was a liger to avoid legal consequences, because a liger, the hybrid offspring of a lion and a tiger, is not a protected species in Thailand, unlike a tiger, whose owner must obtain a permit to import or own.
The presence of the cub came to light recently when people reported seeing a “tiger cub” wandering loose in Soi Bangbua-Bangchak in Bang Pakong district.
Officials captured the cub and placed it in confinement. A man later claimed ownership of the animal, saying that it was a liger cub, but “painted” to look like a tiger for a movie appearance.
Attapon said officials were sent to the man’s place of business to check the cub, but suspected that the liger cub presented for inspection was not the one that had got loose.
The farm has genuine permits to run the business but, at this stage, it seems he has no permits to import or own a tiger.
As a preliminary step, he said an order has been issued to confiscate the animals from his farm, pending further investigation.
